Government Profiles

Nicola De Santis has been Boston’s Consul General of Italy for little less than a year, but he already has set the wheels in motion to follow in his predecessors’ footsteps. After taking office at the end of last summer, De Santis quickly moved to improve the Consulate’s services, with a particular focus on reducing wait and responding to queries from Italian citizens seeking assistance from the Consulate. “Before anything else, you need to make sure the daily work here is being done right,” he says. Sitting in his beautiful 17th floor office overlooking the bustling Seaport District at 600 ...

The day after Boston’s first Italian-American mayor, Thomas M. Menino, passed away, the Boston Herald ran a full-page photo with the headline: “I know this city. I love this city.” The outpouring of love that Boston showed for Menino in the days after his death on Oct. 30 was equal to the love and devotion that the former mayor had for all of Boston. Born and raised in the Readville area of Hyde Park, Menino grew up with strong values passed down from his parents, both of whom were children of Italian immigrants. His mother, Susan, was his strongest influence, ...